Ukrainian Journalist Resigns, Joins Independence Supporters

A journalist with one of Ukraine’s pro-government television channels has tendered her resignation and sided with the independence supporters in Lugansk.

“The channel belongs to a former Verhovna Rada deputy and is fully dependent on the views of its owners, shareholders and the official policy of the Ukrainian government, propagated by all our media outlets even when the local people we interviewed thought otherwise… I simply refused to do this any longer,” Alla Grushko told a news conference in Lugansk.

“We were not allowed to put out materials, which were inconsistent with the pro-Ukrainian line… Only the ones where the Kiev troops are the good guys, where Ukraine is fighting for its territory and that Ukraine is always right,” Alla added.

She also said that when interviewed, people in the Kiev-controlled towns of Lisichansk and Severodonetsk often criticized the government forces and avoided discussing the war and the military.